


Wee Shadow.

by RedStarFiction



Category: Outlander, Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-23 22:47:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10728852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedStarFiction/pseuds/RedStarFiction
Summary: A wee one shot of Jamie and Claire fluff with Jem and Mandy set around 'Tell The Bees'





	1. Chapter 1

With Bree and Roger both sick, Jem and Mandy had been dispatched to stay with their grandparents. It was an arrangement that suited everyone, particularly Jem, who was all but glued to his beloved Grandda’s side from the moment he entered the house.

“You’re sure you don’t feel at all unwell?”

“No Grannie. I feel fine.”

“I heard you coughing outside.”

“I just kicked up some dust running back to the house. Ye did tell me to hurry…”

The note of accusation was distinct and not lost on Claire who had plenty experience with the Fraser capability for Machiavellian tenacity and was not fazed in the least.

“I did, but only because it is freezing out there and the last thing I need is another flu patient.”

She smiled as Jem narrowly resisted the urge to roll his eyes and pressed her hand to his forehead. Warm, but then he always was, just like Bree and Jamie, Jem seemed to have a natural furnace.

“You haven’t got a headache or a sore throat?”

Claire stepped back and put her hands on her hips surveying her grandson who was now fidgeting and shifting from foot to foot with impatience.

“No Grannie, I promise.”

There was a tap on the door and Jamie’s head popped into view. Jem gave him a discreetly pleading look, hoping for saviour as Claire began prodding at his throat again, feeling for swollen glands. Jamie clucked his tongue sympathetically and stepped into the room, ducking slightly as he passed under bunches of drying herbs hanging from the rafters.

“Sassenach, I promise if he keels over I’ll call ye immediately.”

Jamie smiled, sliding himself between them. Claire frowned as she looked up at her husband.

“You shouldn’t be in here! If Jem is incubating the virus …”

“Then I may have it from last night when he arrived or from eating breakfast beside him this morning or possibly from picking up his stockings from the parlour floor, which I mean to enquire about presently anyway.”

“Sorry Grandda, I forgot to take them upstairs wi’ me…”

Jamie turned and gave Jem a level look down the length of his nose and a slow blink that passed for a wink.

“Aye weel, I’ve left them on the stair and ye may take them up to ye room and fold them properly away in your dresser. Now if ye please.”

Jamie’s tone was stern but there was a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth and Jem realised that far from scolding him, his Grandda was in fact offering him an escape from the surgery.

“Aye Grandda.”

“But …”

Claire began at the same time as Jamie jerked his chin in the direction of the door. Jem took the opportunity and scarpered, dodging around the far side of his Grannie’s work bench to avoid any further prodding

“Thank ye Grannie, I’ll let ye ken if I feel a bit poorly.”

He called and shut the door firmly behind him.

Claire blinked at the door for a moment and then sighed in defeat.

“Dinna take it hard Sassenach, there are many men who would long for your ministrations. Myself for one.”

Jamie grinned but Claire poked an accusing finger at his chest before pointing at the bench.

“Fine, then sit. And don’t think for a second I believe that you care where a pair of stockings are left.”

Jamie obligingly settled himself on the bench and loosened his stock, exposing the pale skin of his throat, adams apple bobbing as he swallowed.

“Actually I do.”

Jamie squirmed as Claire’s fingers, deliberately chilly, felt for signs of swelling beneath his jaw

“No’ enough to make a fuss but the lad is old enough to put his clothes away wi’ out reminding.”

“I think he does normally,”

Claire murmured absent-mindedly, pausing to run her fingers over a certain area again, distinguishing between the rasp of red-gold stubble beneath her fingers and the sign of illness she challenged to be there.

“He probably dumped them because he heard you come into the house. Yon wee shadow.”

Claire smiled, gently mimicking the way Jenny had put it when she had seen the two red-heads together. Jamie retied his stock and ducked his head, trying not to appear too pleased to hear Jem referred to as such.

Claire made as if to inspect his ears and Jamie caught her hand deftly, turning her to be seated on his lap.

“That’s enough o’ that. I’m healthy as I ever have been and have ye to thank for it Sassenach. Stop prodding me, eh? Or at least prod in more satisfying places.”

“And wear exactly should I be prodding, hmmm?”

Claire leant forward, her fingers still encased in Jamie’s large palm, and ran her teeth along the edge of his jaw, gently nipping his chin. Jamie made a sound, not dissimilar to that of a bull readying for the charge and his thighs tightened beneath her.

“Have I just found a new erogenous zone Mr Fraser?”

“I wouldna say that … though I do find your teeth on me a wee bit stirring…”

Jamie’s breath came up short as Claire’s tongue dipped beneath the knot of his stock and traced the faint blue line of a vein, her teeth barely touching him this time.

“But it reminds me … it reminds … Christ!”

Jamie lifted her from his body and stood in the same fluid motion, bending to kiss his wife as thoroughly as he wished to before straightening to his full height, neck safely out of her reach as a sprig of drying thyme tickled his ear.

“You were saying?”

“I was trying to say,”

Jamie smiled wryly,

“That having ye on my lap as ye were just then, distracted and more interested in the medical state o’ my body than anything besides, it reminded me of the first night we met.”

“And that is a pleasant memory is it?”

Claire teased trying to keep her tone light, thinking back to that cold and violent Scottish night and narrowly avoiding a shudder.

“Weel, the meeting of ye is a pleasant memory aye but … I was terrified if truth be told and had ye not come along when ye did …”

“Dragged by Murtagh…”

Jamie waved this off as if her virtual kidnap was neither here nor there and continued

“I dinna ken that I would have made it through the night.”

“It wasn’t a fatal wound!”

Claire laughed, thinking of the bayonet wound on his torso and the way the blood had soaked into his shirt, so startling against the white linen and how it was the sight of this that finally jolted her into awareness of her new reality.

“No,”

Jamie smiled

“It wasna a fatal wound but I was so verra scared, Sassenach. I thought my arm likely broken and although Murtagh was wi’ me, I kent well enough that had Dougal seen opportunity for it, he’d do away wi’ the both of us. So there I was, unable to defend myself, unable to protect my kinsman and just waiting for a dirk to slip betwixt my ribs and fearful that I might die wi’out ever goin’ home and then … then you were there.”

Claire listened to the soft lilt of his voice, the gentle dip in resonance that accompanied his thought of her and the lifting smile that crinkled the skin around his eyes and realised that she was once again on his lap on the bench, although she had no memory of moving.

“Ye centred me from the verra first moment I saw ye. Gave me a pretty face to focus on and a neutral party to speak to; ye made me remember that I was more than just a wanted man and unwanted guest.”

Jamie stroked his index finger down her jaw, lightly pinching her chin between his thumb and finger as if holding a delicate glass ornament up to the light for inspection.

“Ye saved me and didna even ken it, wouldna ha’ cared if I told ye either, fierce wee thing ye were.”

Jamie grinned and gently leant forward, this time meeting Claire’s lips as she reached for him, soft and familiar and warm.

“I would never have known you were scared. You seemed so brave to me. Foolish, but brave.”

“And so I was!”

Jamie smiled as the breath of their laughter mingled.

“Ye have always given so verra much mo nighean donn, ye gave me courage, then love, then family… ye ha’ given me all the verra best parts of my life.”

“As have you. Jamie I …”

“GRANNIE! JEM’S COUGHING AGAIN!”

The surgery door burst open and Mandy, grasping Esmerelda under one arm, stood in a riotous cloud of curls and determination.

“He’s coughing! We have to give him medicine!”

Mandy said firmly, heedless of the moment she had interrupted

“Alright love, lead the way.”

Claire smiled, holding out a hand to her grand-daughter.

“Yon wee shadow, was it?”

Jamie called after them, smiling to himself at the answering chuckle that echoed back to him.


	2. THE KING!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why I have, in the last two days, got such a thing going on with Jamie and Jem but these fics are fluffy Fraser loveliness so I'm quite happy that they are occurring to me :)

Jamie cocked his head to the side and drummed the fingers of his left hand on the table top.

He was thinking, Jem realised with a small thrill and glanced excitedly at Germaine but his cousin was staring intently at their grandfather and spared no attention for Jem. The seconds ticked by, marked by the slender bronze hand of the mantelpiece clock. A single bead of sweat ran from Germaine’s blonde temple and dripped onto the pale linen of his shirt. Jem squared his shoulders and straightened his back. He wasn’t scared of his Grandda, not ever, but when he was concentrating as fiercely as he was, Jem could see why people might be. He looked so stern!

“Ye ken that’s no a verra honourable thing, considering I was so courteous with your earlier error.”

Jamie said evenly, his eyes flicking between both boys but settling on Germaine who stuck out his chin defiantly.

“We all make our own choices, Grand-pere.”

He shrugged and Jamie snorted, though his gaze didn’t soften and Jem swallowed nervously.

“Aye, but are ye sure your partner feels the same? Ye look a wee bit peaky Jeremiah.”

Jem licked his lips and shook his head. In truth he didn’t really understand what it was Germaine had done. It couldn’t be too awful or Grandda wouldn’t be discussing it and anyway, whatever it was he and Germaine were a team and he would stand by his teammate no matter what.

“I think its fair Grandda. Ye didna ask us to owe ye one so I dinna think ye can claim foul-play.”

Jamie’s stern countenance broke and he smiled, jiggling Mandy who was on his knee, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“Your brother is going to be a lawyer mo maise … and ye cousin will be a highwayman.”

Both boys looked fairly pleased with their future career predictions but Mandy’s scowl intensified and she glared across the table at them both.

“Dinna be mean to Grandda! Horrid boys!”

She scolded, patting Jamie’s arm consolingly before looking up at him, blue eyes wide with concern.

“Are you OK Grandda?”

“Och aye, dinna fash a leannan. I just need to teach these two young men a lesson, ken?”

Mandy nodded and Jem and Germaine exchanged anxious glances.

“Will ye help me?”

Jamie asked, eyes still trained on his granddaughter who nodded, only too happy to help her beloved Grandda sort out her brother and cousin.

“Aye Grandda.”

“Right,”

Jamie leant forward, huge frame hunching over the table as he pointed for Mandy to follow

“ye see the horsey? Aye that’s the one - put him here and take that piece away.”

“Wait …”

Germain’s eyes flew wide as Mandy picked up his Queen and replaced it with Jamie’s knight.

“The King!”

Jem yelped and Germaine turned sharply, digging his cousin in the ribs. The game had been going on for nearly an hour and in that time he had to shut Jem up countless times.

“Shh. Let me think…”

“No you need to protect the King ...”

Jem leant across Germaine in a panic and seized the crowned piece of wood, dragging it back in the path of Jamie’s bishop. Germaine tried to slam his hand down but Jem had already let go, relinquishing their turn.

“Ah… I think perhaps Jem did not mean to let go so soon, Grand-pere, if I may just …”

“You may not!”

Jamie said tartly, placing Mandy’s hand on the bishop.

“We all make our own choices, ken? Capture the King for us, lass. Let’s finish them.”

Mandy slapped the bishop down viciously and seized the pale King with a roar of victory.

“WE GOT YOU!”

“Grandda got us! You just sat there!”

Jem snapped petulantly but Mandy was too wrapped up in her victory to much care. Germaine shook his head and slumped back in his seat, utterly spent.

“Mon Dieu.”

He murmured gesturing weakly to the board, the elegant turn of his wrist the very echo of his father and Jamie felt a small flutter in his heart at the memory of Fergus as a destitute waif, sat in the parlour of their house in Paris, charming Claire with his wit and his sweet nature and, not for the first time, Jamie marvelled at the chance of fate. 

“You saw it all along, didn’t you Grand-pere?”

“Aye,”

Jamie smiled but with more than a trace of sympathy in his voice

“Ye have the makings of a fine player laddie, but ye are too eager to make the kill. Ye must remember to survey the whole board not just focus on your own plans.”

Jamie held out his hand and Germaine shook it good naturedly, accepting his grandfather’s assessment of his strategy gracefully.

Jamie offered his hand to Jem next, and grinned

“And you need to learn to pay attention to the game at hand, ye didna wait nor listen to your captain and it cost ye the King. But ye are getting better.”

Jem blushed but shook his grandfather’s hand firmly and nodded. He could hardly argue with that assessment given that he had just done exactly as his grandfather described.

“Now my teammate,”

Jamie looked down at Mandy and offered her his hand to shake as he had with the boys.

“I think ye need to work on being a gracious winner, it’s no’ verra polite to scream ye victory at the top o’ your lungs.”

Mandy ignored his hand and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly

“We still won though, didn’t we Grandda?”

She beamed and Jamie laughed despite himself

“Aye, mo chridhe, we did.”

Jamie began to pack the pieces carefully away whilst Mandy scurried off to find Claire and tell her of the victory that she had, in her mind, been an integral part of.

“Sorry.”

Jem murmured quietly but Germaine waved his apology off

“It doesn’t matter, I had not seen the black knight’s potential move and without the queen all was lost anyway.”

He sighed dramatically before grinning at his cousin

“THE KING!!!”

He cried, mimicking Jem’s Scottish accent and throwing himself back in his chair, one hand draped across his eyes.

Jem kicked him in the shin lightly

“Shut up! I didna say it like that!”

“Ye did a bit, Jem. It was verra impassioned.”

Jamie teased and received a long look down the bridge of his grandson’s nose before Jem gave in and laughed.

“Chess is harder than I thought it would be.”

“When ye play wi’ the best it is.”

Jamie grinned, his smile widening as Jem and Germaine rolled their eyes simultaneously.

“Dad beat you last week!”

Jem pointed out smugly and Jamie nodded thoughtfully

“Aye and I dinna ken who was more shocked.”

He laughed, placing the lid on the box of pieces and returning it to the mantel piece.


End file.
